


Life Long Sweethearts

by Maniyak



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien and Marinette know each other since elementary, Adrinette, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Angst, Childhood Friends, Childhood Sweethearts, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Issues, Identity Reveal, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, Oblivious Adrien Agreste, Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir and Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybu, Oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 15:23:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17347664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maniyak/pseuds/Maniyak
Summary: Life is complicated and hard, but it's not half as bad if you have someone to hold your back.Childhood friends!au





	Life Long Sweethearts

Marinette didn’t know what was waiting for her when she arrived to her école (primary school) for the first time. She was six so she was small, young and full of energy in the crowd of seven year olds. She met with everyone in her class personally on the first day and ran around the classroom at least a couple hundred times. Everyone seemed to like this little ball of overflowing happiness and energy.

Everyone looked different, but she saw them all the same—as her friend.  She talked with everyone. She talked about being on the first grade with Alya who sat next to her, about bubbles with Nino, about her name with Rose, about hair with Juleka, about height with Ivan (who was literally twice as big as Marinette was), about bandanas with Mylenne, about games on their fathers’ computers with Max, about ball games with Kim, about roller skates with Alix, about breakfasts with Sabrina and about clothes with Chloe—who was a bit too snobby for Marinette’s taste.

The only person Marinette didn’t have a long conversation with was a boy with blonde hair and green eyes. His hair was completely out of place even on the first minute of the first day and he looked ready to run every second—even with his shy attitude. He wasn’t loud, he didn’t talk much and when Marinette went around to meet him, he could hardly say his name through his blush. But this boy called Adrien was polite, honest and friendly, which was really all Marinette could ask for.

At the end of her first day, she had decided she liked everyone, but she liked Adrien a little more.

 

 

They were both seven when Marinette found herself in trouble for the first time. An older boy had pushed Marinette when she insisted on telling the truth about how the boy had broken the window, instead of claiming she had done it like the boy demanded. Because of her small features, after a little push from the older boy, she was soon on the floor. The boy yanked her left arm, which made her left shoulder ache. Just as she was about to scream, Adrien come out of nowhere and kicked the older boy –in the place which made boys cry– and took Marinette’s right hand. Without skipping a beat, he said “Run!” and pulled her into a more crowded hallway where they ran as far as they could from the boy. Marinette had a little trouble running with Adrien because he was too fast and soon she started panting. Adrien heard her loud breathing and slowed down, eventually stopping to look at Marinette’s left arm. They realised her arm wouldn’t stop throbbing so he took her to the infirmary. When the infirmary asked what happened, Marinette told her part of the story and tried to cover for Adrien, but Adrien told the truth about what he did anyways. After that Marinette was sent to the hospital and Adrien was sent to the headmaster’s office.

Marinette had her arm broken and Adrien had his first detention that day.

But a very close friendship sprouted also on that day.

(The older boy was suspended for a three days on that day too, which was something Marinette didn’t complain about) 

 

 

Marinette was seven and Adrien was eight when they were paired for a group project. Adrien was still a little shy around her but they had become close friends after the older boy incident. Alya moved next to her partner, Nino, and Adrien sat next to Marinette. They had to make a poster about cats. They planned what they were going to do and went home. It took a full week and couple of out-of-school meetings to complete their project. While doing their project, they got closer and had more fun spending time with each other. Their project also showed that. Their presentation was the funniest presentation amongst the others, with thee help of Marinette’s fake cat ears and Adrien’s cat puns. They also got the highest mark in class.

Marinette thought maybe she did like Adrien a bit more than a friend.

 

 

They were both eight when Adrien told Marinette he liked her. Not liking as a friend but he like-liked her. Marinette told him she like-liked him too and he kissed her in the cheek. Marinette became red but held his hand as they walked back to their classroom.

That night they told their parents they loved each other. Yes, they knew love was a big word, but it was hard to explain the “like” thing since even they couldn’t completely understand it. They told their parents they were dating. (Adrien even told his parents that he wanted to marry Marinette when they were older, something Marinette learned years later)

Needless to say, it was rather surprising for their parents to hear love confessions from their eight year-old kids. When they heard it, Marinette’s father couldn’t move for a few minutes and her mother smiled too big, as if she was trying to suppress her laugh. Adrien’s parents weren’t any different. His father had his mouth open with shock and couldn’t make a sound, as his mother squealed about something called childhood sweethearts.

Their parents met the following week.

They became even better friends than Marinette and Adrien.

 

 

Marinette was nine when they spent New Year’s together. They were all at the bakery, the parents were chatting and laughing in the living room as the kids played videogames in Marinette’s room. Laughter could be heard from both of the rooms. As the adults started to count back from 10, Adrien’s mother called for the kids. When they didn’t respond, they went to Marinette’s room to see what they were doing; only to find out that they had spent the New Year’s sleeping soundly. Adrien slept on Marinette’s floor with controller still in his hands and Marinette slept on his stomach. They could only take a photo for “future use” before closing the door back again, letting the kids sleep a little more.

 

 

Adrien was ten when he tried to buy a diamond ring for Marinette’s birthday. With his piggybank in his hands, he asked his mother how much money diamond rings cost. He had thought he should buy one for Marinette’s birthday.

Adrien’s mother spouted the coffee she was drinking. She then told him to maybe tone down on the gifts department as she coughed.

 

 

Marinette was ten when she designed her first jacket for Adrien’s eleventh birthday. It wasn’t perfect—heck, it wasn’t even good—and she wasn’t really confident about giving it to him. She had started it a month ahead but the outcome just wasn’t the jacket she had imagined. Four days before his birthday, she thought her gift was not worthy enough for him and tried to come up with a new gift. She wanted the gift to be perfect but she didn’t know what to do, especially with so little time. She was on the verge of crying when Adrien and her family came to their house next day. Marinette didn’t know they were coming, so she had the jacket and many other supplies out on the floor when Adrien came to her room. He found her with glossy eyes as she sat in the middle of her messy room. He carefully walked into her room and sat next to her without hesitation. He asked her what’s wrong. She told him she was a horrible friend/girlfriend. He refused and asked what’s wrong again. She pointed at the jacket and told him to look at her “mess”. She told him she tried to create a jacket for his birthday but didn’t succeed. He told her he loved it and it was perfect. He even insisted to have the jacket as an early birthday gift.

Adrien wore the jacket to school next day. And the next day. And the next day.

He wore it for 147 days.

She counted.

(He would have worn it everyday the rest of his life if it was possible, but at some point the jacket became too small for him and it wasn’t keeping the cold out. His mother hid the jacket when he got sick the third time in the same month because of it.)

 

 

Marinette was eleven when Adrien’s mother left him. She was next to Adrien every step of his grieving. She stayed next to him when he was angry at the world. She stayed when he cried. She stayed when he felt numb and everything became a blur. She stayed when his father distanced himself from his son because of his grief. She stayed when everything collapsed and changed in his world. She stayed and became his only constant.

 

 

They were both twelve when someone told them they were more like best friends than lovers. At first they didn’t care about the statement but it stuck with them. They were not like the couples on TV. They didn’t kiss on the lips, they thought they were too young. They knew each other’s secrets and loved them to bits. But Marinette doubted herself; she started thinking she was not enough for Adrien. Adrien started to think he was blocking Marinette’s way to have more, better, people in her life. They both decided on doing the “right thing.”

It was wrong.

 

 

Adrien was thirteen when he started distancing himself away from Marinette. He thought she deserved everything and he couldn’t give her everything with a broken family and a broken heart. He was still friends with her, of course, but he no longer visited her house every week or met her every other day. He watched her as she got closer with Alya, as she bickered with Chloe and as she started to come to school with her own designs. He was so proud of her, but he also was a bit sad to see she moved on so quickly.

 

 

Marinette was thirteen when Alya found her sobbing on the bathroom floor because she was losing the person she loved the most and _she couldn’t do anything to stop it_. She thought even though they might have stopped being girlfriend/boyfriend, they would stay as best friends but she was wrong. Adrien was shutting her out. She tried to continue their traditions and friendship-dates but Adrien seemed to be running away from her. It was breaking her heart and she couldn’t bear it.  Alya sat next to her and held her as she cried until her eyes were dry and her throat hurt. Alya, who was always a good friend of Marinette’s, became even closer to her. Alya was the reason she could start designing and laughing again. She was the one to help Marinette stand up and look like she moved on. In truth, Marinette doubted if she could ever move on and heal her heart.

 

 

Adrien was fourteen when he watched Nathaniel as he asked her out on a date. He was as red as his hair and Adrien could see his hands were shaking behind his back. Adrien thought Nathaniel was a great guy and he had similar interests with Marinette. He thought she would say yes as he saw a blush reddening her cheeks. He thought they could be happy, Marinette would be happy. Yet, he couldn’t make himself watch as Marinette said yes. He kept repeating to himself that Marinette would be happy with Nathaniel, as he tried to digest the horrible feeling that was making his blood boil.

 

 

Marinette was fourteen when she cried for someone else than Adrien for the first time. She had rejected Nathaniel. He tried to assure her that it was fine, that their friendship was what mattered the most, but the look on his face as she kindly rejected him was enough for Marinette to know how he was feeling. She could identify a broken heart’s expression anywhere; she saw it in the mirror every morning before she forced a smile to get through the day.

 

 

They were both fifteen when they met each other again behind the masks. She felt empty and insecure; she didn’t think she deserved to be chosen like this. But when she saw Alya being trapped under a car and about to die, her hero mode immediately kicked in. _She had already lost one best friend; she won’t be losing another one goddamnit!_ Chat watched Ladybug as she became the hero she didn’t know she was, and felt a strong sense of déjà vu as he watched her face. It was like he saw that protectiveness before, but he couldn’t pinpoint where. As he watched her akuma after akuma, the ache in his broken heart started to decrease. It wasn’t healed, no, but he doubted he could ever be fully healed.

 

 

Adrien was sixteen when he first told Ladybug about Marinette. They were talking on top of the Eiffel Tower after an akuma attack and he was feeling down.  It was his birthday and for the first time since he’d known Marinette, she hadn’t given him a gift. He got a gift from Nino, Alya and even from his father –the blue scarf being the first thing he had received from him ever since his mother had disappeared- but nothing from Marinette. Even though they weren’t _that_ close anymore, she’d always give him something on his birthday. He always held onto those gifts when he felt alone in his empty home. He thought it was mostly his fault that he didn’t receive anything from her: He shouldn’t be surprised since he was the one to distance himself from Marinette. But it _hurt_.

So when Ladybug asked her what was wrong, he told her vaguely about the tale of two souls that fell out of friendship. He told her about a talented and beautiful girl who was like the sun, who made people’s lives light up with her own light. He told her how he was the moon to this girl’s sun: How he could only be really seen with her light, but he would block her shine when they were together. He told Ladybug about how he distanced himself from her for the sake of her light, but now he was disappearing into the dark. Ladybug, not knowing who he was talking about, felt angry at this “mystery girl” that made her partner feel so alone. Instead of trying to hide her normal life from her partner like she usually did, she told him how she could understand what he was feeling as she told him about Adrien. She told him about this boy who deserved every good thing in life, who was so kind and caring, who had to tackle so many bad experiences. She told him how she couldn’t reach him as his life got harder, even though they were very close. She told him how she felt alone and empty inside as he shut her out, and how much she missed him. She told him how her fake smiles fooled others with its brightness, but burned her on the inside.  They promised to always be there for each other and to never leave the other out to be alone.

 

 

Marinette was fifteen when she created an akuma because of her jealousy. A new girl called Lila had come into her class and she had lied her way into Adrien’s attention. Marinette was so furious; she felt a burning feeling at the pit of her stomach as she watched them from afar. She couldn’t help herself, she confronted Lila in front of Adrien as Ladybug. Adrien never appreciated rudeness or revenge, even if someone really deserved them, so she wasn’t surprised when he told her off. Deep inside, she had known it was a bad idea.

Before she could get over the fact that she’d made her relationship with Adrien even worse, Volpina came into the picture and messed up the relationship she had with her partner. Marinette suddenly felt desperate as her partner shut her down to agree with Volpina. As if the day could any worse, she had almost given up her miraculous for the sake of Adrien. In the end, even though Adrien was safe and Chat apologised for siding with Volpina, she couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling even after using the miraculous cure.

 

 

Marinette was sixteen when a certain black cat fell into her balcony in the middle of the night. She was trying to text Adrien to let him know that she was there for him, since it was his mother’s birthday. He was never okay on that day. But before she can hit send, she heard a loud thump from her balcony with a couple of curse words following it. When she climbed up to her balcony, she found Chat Noir fixing the chair he fell on as he tried to hide his bloodshot eyes. He didn’t explain what was wrong or why he had been crying. He only apologised for bothering her at such time and got ready to leave. Instead of letting him go, presumably to be sad all by himself, she brought hot chocolate and cookies to him. She didn’t ask anything, she just gave him the food and a blanket as she sat right next to him, telling him funny stories from her childhood. She told stories, ranted on funny topics, explained her designs and her future dreams until he started participating in their (so far) one sided chat. It was slow, but he felt better as they spent more time together. At some point, Chat told her that he didn’t know what he would do if he wasn’t with her, because it was a horrible day for him. He told her how he couldn’t bear going back to his house to act like everything was fine. So they stayed up until dawn, just being there for each other as they promised.

 

 

Adrien was seventeen when Ladybug fell into his arms, bleeding profusely. He was scared out of his mind as his partner lay in his arms on a random rooftop, the red of her suit leaking out, smearing on his claws and the pavement. Her eyes were out of focus and her face was drained of colour. The akuma they were fighting with threw blades during the fight. Most of the blades were aimed at Chat and he had a hard time running away from them. For a moment he had thought he escaped all the blades before Ladybug tackled him to the side, saving him. His Lady had pushed him out of the way of one last blade, which would have pierced him through his heart. The blade had slashed through Ladybug’s side instead, forcing Ladybug to fight while bleeding through the deep wound. She somehow managed to call for a Lucky Charm and Chat quickly found a way to get the akumatized object. She was barely standing as she cleansed the akuma but her knees gave out because of all the blood she had lost before she could call for the miraculous cure that would heal her. Chat had tears in his eyes as he put his hands in the wound to stop bleeding, while frantically trying to make her call for her power. She had tried to throw her yoyo twice but she couldn’t conjure up enough energy for it. Before she could try a third time, her hand went limp as she lost consciousness.

Chat’s blood ran cold.

Somehow, Tikki took the lead and released miraculous cure by herself with the last of her magic. As soon as Tikki activated the miraculous cure, Ladybug’s transformation wore off. It hadn’t been 5 minutes since Lucky Charm but Tikki’s help took all of the left magic that kept Ladybug in the costume. Marinette woke up fully healed in Chat’s embrace as a drained Tikki flew next to his head. Chat had tear tracks on his face and he had a shocked expression on his face. He couldn’t believe his two favourite people were actually the same. He also couldn’t believe he hadn’t realised it before.

The sun to his moon.

The light to his darkness.

The creation to his destruction.

_Of course._

The fact that he could have lost not one, but two of the most important people in his life suddenly dawned on Chat, and he crushed her into a tight hug. He whimpered his thanks to Tikki, who smiled tiredly but fondly in response.

Marinette tried her best to reassure Chat that she was truly fine while they hugged but Chat still held her for dear life, crying tears of both happiness and fear. He told her he loved her and that he couldn’t bear to lose her. He told her to never do that again. Before Marinette could respond, or even at least remind him to leave before de-transforming, Plagg’s magic engulfed him and left Adrien in Chat’s place. Adrien didn’t even flinch. He held onto her a little longer.

Then, he let go of her petite frame to sit back just enough to look into her bluebell eyes, internally still trying to convince himself that the love of his life was really _okay_. Breathing. Healthy. _Alive_.

Marinette looked into Adrien’s newly unmasked eyes and suddenly her world fell into place.   _Of course,_ she thought, _who else could it have been?_

Without needing to think much on it, she pulled Adrien close and their lips met.

 

 

Marinette was seventeen when she kissed Adrien for the first time. The kiss had years worth of longing and familiarity, and the novelty of holding each other for the first time since they were kids. It had regret, the bitterness over missed opportunities, and delight, the joy of finding each other again.

It was like a beautiful eclipse, two of them finding a balance in each other.

And this time, they knew better than letting each other go.

**Author's Note:**

> Guess you can say it's... Total Eclipse of the Heart
> 
>  
> 
> If you couldn't tell it already, it's not well edited. I'll edit it (hopefully) soon.
> 
> I tried to change my writing tone with their ages but I don't know if it worked.
> 
> If you guys like it, I might share a tiny epilogue.
> 
> (I'm also going to update one of my fics really soon :D )
> 
>  
> 
> If you wave at me, I will certainly wave back: http://crazyunlikeyou.tumblr.com


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